1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of operating an optical disc multi-changer, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method of reducing a program selection time in an optical disc multi-changer by determining whether a disc is mounted on a disc mounting unit, before it is determined whether the disc is chucked and a type of the disc is discriminated.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multi-changer of a disc allows a user to select an order of playing programs in a disc mounted in a disc mounting unit. However, while the user selects the order of playing the programs, the multi-changer attempts to perform a disc chucking operation and a disc type discriminating operation even where no disc is mounted on the disc mounting unit. Thus, where a user desires to select an order of playing programs in discs mounted on disc mounting units, and one or more of the disc mounting units are not mounted with the respective discs, the user has to wait for a long period of time to select the order of playing the programs.
FIG. 1 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of reducing a program selection time in a conventional optical disc multi-changer. In operation 100, it is determined whether a disc is chucked so as to discriminate the type of the disc which is currently mounted on a disc mounting unit. Here, to chuck the disc refers to a spindle motor (not shown) being safely fixed to rotate the disc.
Where the disc is chucked, the type of the disc, which is currently mounted on the disc mounting unit, is discriminated in operation 101.
In operation 102, it is determined whether a disc mounting unit is opened. Where the disc mounting unit is closed, it is determined whether the discrimination of the disc type is completed, in operation 103.
Where the type of the disc is discriminated, it is determined whether the disc mounting unit is empty in operation 104. Where the disc mounting unit is empty, a flag indicating that the disc mounting unit is empty is set in operation 105. Where the flag indicating that the disc mounting unit is empty is set, the next disc mounting unit number is checked in operation 106.
In operation 107, after the next disc mounting unit number is checked, a servo operation is stopped. Where the servo operation is stopped, it is determined whether a program mode is a process to check the disc mounting unit in operation 108. Here, the process to check the disc mounting unit refers to checking the type of the disc and a number of tracks or chapters, so as to enable a user to select a program to be played. Where the disc mounting unit is being checked while the servo is stopped, the next disc mounting unit number is checked in operation 109.
In operation 110, it is determined whether all disc mounting units are checked. Where all disc mounting units are not checked, the method returns to the operation 110. Where all disc mounting units are checked, the user selects a playing order of programs in operation 111.
States of all disc mounting units in the multi-changer are checked before the user selects the program to be played. As described above, since the disc mounting units, even if they are empty, are required to be chucked and their types discriminated, the user has to wait until all disc mounting units are checked.